Russian Military Reform

The Russian Military Police, from Syria to Karabakh

(PONARS Eurasia Policy Memo) Following the Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement signed in Moscow on November 9, 2020, between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that units of the Military Police…

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Strategic Sderzhivanie: Understanding Contemporary Russian Approaches to “Deterrence”

(Marshall Center) Executive Summary: There is a mismatch between the Western concept of deterrence and the Russian concept of sderzhivanie, and particularly strategic sderzhivanie. Strategic sderzhivanie encompasses the Western concepts…

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An Emerging Strategic Partnership: Trends in Russia-China Military Cooperation

(RMR blog) One more policy brief from the series on Russian strategic culture and leadership decision-making, written for a collaborative project organized by the Marshall Center with support from the Russia…

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New CNA reports on Russia’s strategy for escalation management

(RMR blog) My colleagues at CNA’s Russian Studies Program — Michael Kofman, Anya Fink and Jeff Edmonds — have written two excellent reports on Russian deterrence and escalation management. I…

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The Elusive Russian Nuclear Threshold

(PONARS Eurasia Policy Memo) The role of nuclear weapons in Russia’s national security policy moved to the center of attention last year following the new U.S. Nuclear Posture Review, which…

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Strategic Russian Strategic Decision-Making in a Nordic Crisis

(RMR blog) Here’s the second in a series of policy briefs on Russian strategic culture and leadership decision-making, written for a collaborative project organized by the Marshall Center with support from…

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A Guide to Becoming an Admiral in the Russian Navy

(War on the Rocks) (Co-authored with Kasey Stricklin) It is widely acknowledged that general and flag officers are important actors. Senior uniformed leaders are, of course, crucial in determining the trajectory of…

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Podvig: Very few of Russia’s Avangard hypersonic glider tests were successful and the programme was nearly shut down four years ago

(The Economist) Tom lehrer’s satirical ditty on the Nazi-turned-American rocketeer was faithful to the essence of early missile development, whose principal challenge was hoisting the weapons into the sky. Gravity did most…

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Review of Bettina Renz’s new book on Russia’s Military Revival

(Russian Military Reform blog) I wrote the following book review for Oxford’s CCW Russia Brief, Issue 3. These Russia briefs from Oxford’s changing character of war program feature some of the top experts and…

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Is a new Russian Black Sea Fleet coming? Or is it here?

(RMR blog) Last summer, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that Russia will continue to strengthen its forces around the Black Sea in order to “neutralize the security threat in the Black Sea…

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The Russian Military Police, from Syria to Karabakh

Strategic Sderzhivanie: Understanding Contemporary Russian Approaches to “Deterrence”

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New CNA reports on Russia’s strategy for escalation management

The Elusive Russian Nuclear Threshold

Strategic Russian Strategic Decision-Making in a Nordic Crisis

A Guide to Becoming an Admiral in the Russian Navy

Podvig: Very few of Russia’s Avangard hypersonic glider tests were successful and the programme was nearly shut down four years ago

Review of Bettina Renz’s new book on Russia’s Military Revival

Is a new Russian Black Sea Fleet coming? Or is it here?